Lancashire County Council admits failing dying man

A disabled man had to spend his last month in bed because Lancashire County Council failed to provide him with the special chair he needed, an investigation has found.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s investigation revealed that despite two occupational therapists identifying the man’s need for a special chair, it had still not been provided some seven months later, when the man passed away.

An NHS occupational therapist (OT) referred the recommendation for a special chair to the council.

Its own OT assessed the man, made a number of recommendations to make the couple’s life safer, including a special chair, but delayed making the arrangements for the chair.

Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: “This man should not have had to spend his last few weeks bed-bound.

“He could no longer sit in a chair because he was at risk of sliding to the floor, and his wife was unable to help return him to the chair because of her own health problems.

“While the council had already apologised before my investigation, it failed to identify the root cause of the delay.”

The man, who had Parkinson’s Disease, lived with his wife in an adapted home.

During a stay in hospital, the man was finally assessed by a contractor for a new chair, but this was not in place by the time he was discharged.

For the last month of his life he was forced to stay in bed because he did not have appropriate seating.

Following her husband’s death, the woman complained to the council.

The council apologised and told her it was making changes to its procedures. But the council gave her mixed messages about the delay and she then complained to the Ombudsman.

The investigation found the council delayed requesting the specialist chair, failed to record its contacts with the contractor who would provide the chair and took too long to approve the funding application.

The council apologised and paid £750 compensation to the man’s family.

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